Tag Archives: Psy/Changeling

Wild Embrace by Nalini Singh – Review & Giveaway

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Wild Embrace by Nalini Singh – Review & Giveaway

 

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Wild Embrace
Psy/Changeling series – Book 15.5
by Nalini Singh
Release Date: August 23, 2016

Wild EmbraceAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
The “alpha author of paranormal romance”* presents a stunningly sensual collection of four all-new Psy-Changeling novellas, in which taboos are broken, boundaries are crossed, and instincts prove irresistible…

Echo of Silence
In a deep-sea station, Tazia Nerif has found her life’s work as an engineer, keeping things running smoothly. But she wants nothing more than to break down the barrier of silence between her and her telekinetic Psy station commander…

Dorian
A changeling who can never shift lives a life of quiet frustration—until he learns how to let his leopard come out and play…

Partners in Persuasion
Still raw from being burned by a dominant female, wolf changeling Felix will never again risk being a plaything. But for dominant leopard Dezi, he’s the most fascinating man she’s ever met. She just has to convince this gun-shy wolf that he can trust the dangerous cat who wants to take a slow, sexy bite out of him…

Flirtation of Fate
Seven years ago, Kenji broke Garnet’s heart. Now the wolf packmates have to investigate the shocking murder of one of their own. And the more Kenji sees of the woman Garnet has become, the deeper he begins to fall once more. But even his primal instincts are no match for the dark secret he carries…

 

Review:

Wild Embrace by Nalini Singh is book 15.5 of her fantastic Psy/Changeling series.   Wild Embrace is a collection of 4 new novellas.  Those of you who have followed my reviews, know that I am a huge fan of Nalini Singh, and this series is my all time favorite.  It is always wonderful to review a psy/changeling story, but what I find amazing is how much I also enjoy every single short story or novella that Nalini gives during the course of every year.  They are so much fun.

To do a review on novellas is difficult, so I will try to give you my thoughts, as the descriptions are above.

Echo of Silence:  This was a very sweet story featuring a Psy and human, taking place in the earlier days.  Tazia is our human heroine, who is an engineer at a deep sea station, and Stefan is our Psy hero.  Tazia has been away from home for a long time, having left her family to do what she enjoys.  But she still yearns to hear from them.  Stefan senses Tazia’s emotions, everytime the mail comes and nothing is for her.  Being a Psy, with silence, he does not truly understand those emotional feelings of Tazia. With the station having a month long break, Stefan is on his way to help an area hit by an earthquake.  Since she is alone, he tells Tazia to come and help with the search and rescue,  What follows is a nice slow build romance between two people totally different.  As Tazia watches Stefan push himself over and beyond  to savee, she realizes that he does have some emotions.  They will both fall in love, as she is the perfect mate to bring Stefan out of silence and he will help bring her back to her long lost family.  Very nicely written.

Dorian: I loved this one, even if it was the shortest of the four.  Dorian has always been one of our favorites, and it was so great to see his story when he was a child who could not shift to his wolf form.  In his book, Hostage to Pleasure, we see him finally find his mate, and his wolf.  But Nalini has given us a wonderful look at the hours after he finally shifts for the first time, and we spend this time with his pack as they all join in the fun with Dorian.  This was such a wonderful and fun story. Thank you, Nalini.

Partners in Persuasion:  Desiree (Dezi) is the dominant femal e leopard from Dark River.  She is attracted to Felix, who is submissive wolf from SnowDancer.  Felix has had a bad relationship with another dominant female, and refuses to allow himself to act on Dezi’s advances.  Dezi does her best to try to not intimidate Felix, and perhaps just be friends, though that is difficult for her, since she wants so much more.   It is a slow build relationship, with two people whom we can to adore, and wanted them together.  Another story that Nalini writes so well, allowing us to see Felix begin to fall for Dezi, and learn to build his confidence and trust.  Nicely done.

Flirtation of Fate: It was great to see Kenji and Garnet’s (Jem) story.  Garnet’s heart was broken 7 years ago by Kenji, who in those days was known for being a fun loving womanizer.  But we see early on that he loves Garnet, and deep down, he is hiding a secret to the truth from years before.  Both Kenji and Garnet are leaders of their pack within SnowDancer.

This is a slow build romance, but the main part of this story is a murder investigation that Garnet is in charge of.  Kenji will join her to help resolved this difficult and puzzling case.  It was a very nice mystery, which had us stumped almost to the end.  I loved seeing both Kenji and Garnet eventually find their way to each other, especially when Kenji finally reveals the truth.  Another great story in this anthology.

Wiid Embrace was a wonderful enjoyable anthology that held my attention throughout.  I am not usually an anthology fan, but I loved every moment of this book. Once again, if you have not read this fantastic series, you are missing a gem.  You need to go back and start with Slave to Sensation and see for yourself why Nalini Singh and her Psy/Changeling series are my all time favorites.
Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

giveaway

Nalini’s publisher is offering a paper copy of WILD EMBRACE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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Allegiance of Honor by Nalini Singh – Review, Q&A, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Allegiance of Honor by Nalini Singh – Review, Q&A, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

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Allegiance of HonorAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
The Psy-Changeling world has undergone a staggering transformation and now stands at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: Old enemies. New allies. Wary loners.

But a century of distrust and suspicion can’t be so easily forgotten and threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman’s cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: A child who is both Psy…and changeling.

To find the lost, protect the vulnerable—and save Trinity—no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?

 

 

Review:

Allegiance of Honor by Nalini Singh is the 15th book in her fantastic Psy/Changeling series.  I have said many times that this series has become my all time favorite, along with J.D. Robb’s In Death.  Nalini Singh is a master at world-building; storyline continuation that flows in each book seamlessly; with great characters, exciting story and her couples are always great, not to mention a steamy romance. Her other series, Guild Hunter is a great series too. Saying that, It is no wonder that Nalini Singh has become my favorite author, where I wait impatiently for her next book.

Nalini Singh has given us a gift in Allegiance of Honor, which more or less ends this fabulous arc.  She gives us an ensemble book that is a keeper, as we get to spend time with all of our favorites from the previous books; which also opens the door for the next arc. 

In all of the Psy/Changeling books, there is always a leading couple that we come to love and furthers the ongoing story line.  In the last book we saw the end of Silence, and in this book there is no one couple, as we learn about some existing problems revolving around PsyNet; about the Consortium which threatens to destroy the new peace with Trinity and another group of changelings desperately trying to save their people.  We get it all in Allegiance of Honor, which was masterfully written, with some closures, as well as new problems, giving us a peek at the future.   Nalini continues to wow us with her unbelievable world-building, which no one can match.

It is hard to write a review about this book, as Nalini was doing what she does best, continuing this world building and giving us happiness with each and every couple. We got to enjoy the pupcubs, and our new little darling, Naya, who will be something to reckon with when she grows up.   

Those new to the series I suggest you not start with this book, it will be so worth the wait to start from the beginning and get the full effect of Psy/Changeling. Allegiance of Honor would be somewhat confusing for a newbie, as I feel it is for those who have read this entire series, which started with Lucas & Sascha, as the complex Psy/Changeling world building began; the wonderful couples we met along the way that we never want to let go; from the Leopards to the Wolves to the Arrows that worked together to bring down Silence.  We get to see more of the Black Sea changelings, which I suspect will play a big role in the next arc.

I will not say too much more, other than to say how much I loved loved this series. These characters are best I have ever read; Lucas, Sascha, Hawke, Sienna, Judd, Brenna, Mercy, Riley, Dorian, Clay, Faith, Walker, Kaleb, Sahara, Vasic, Ivy, Aden, Zaira, Nikita, just to name a few.  Despite the end of this arc, it is not the end of Psy/Changeling;  we will be getting to see some of our favorites along the way with the new changelings.

Thank you, Nalini Singh for this fantastic series, your wonderful characters, unbelievable world building and your steamy beautiful romances.  It was a fascinating, captivating roller coaster of a ride. I will follow you to the next arc (and your Guild Hunter series), and I know it will be wonderful.  For those of you who have not read this series, once again, you are missing the adventure of your life, which is not to be missed.  Start with Slave to Sensation and fall in love with Nalini Singh.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Q&A

Nalini Singh on the future of the Psy-Changeling series

Is Allegiance of Honor the end of the Psy-Changeling series?

No, it’s not. 🙂 I ADORE this world and the characters and I have so many Psy-Changeling stories yet to tell. (I’ve often joked that I’ll be writing this series until I’m ninety-eight!)

**TRC:  *Happy Dance………..*

Where do you see the Psy-Changeling world going from here?  Who is the next book about?

(Slightly spoilery answer to follow if you’re just starting the series).

Allegiance of Honor sets up a lot of possibilities for the future. There are many avenues I could take. However, for me, this arc is all about what happens not just to the Psy, but to the world, now that Silence has fallen and all the rules have changed.

We’ve had the immediate aftermath books, both of which focused on the Psy race (Shield of Winter & Shards of Hope), but what about the wider long-term future? Because Silence existed for a reason. The Psy still have these incredible abilities that have the potential to drive them murderously insane, and the world is still a fractured triumvirate. And there are players about whom we know very little, like the falcons and BlackSea.

As for who’s book is next, I’m not ready to announce it yet because I want to be certain this character is ready – but I think you’ll be pleased. 😉 

 

excerpt

 

 

Lucas had had to chase Naya around the aerie at bedtime last night—her walk might still be a little shaky, but she was a rocket when it came to crawling. Dressed only in a diaper, she’d laughed uproariously and said a loud, firm “No” each time Lucas caught her and put her in her crib.

After which she’d clamber out—she’d figured out how to escape a month earlier—and the game would begin again. Of course, since Lucas was a cat, he’d been having just as much fun as their daughter. Sascha, meanwhile, had sat in the living room with a cup of hot chocolate and just indulged in the sight of her mate playing with their cub.

She’d had to pretend to be stern when Naya ran over and pleaded her case with loud sounds and wild gesticulations of her hands. “No, Naya,” she’d said, biting her tongue in an effort not to laugh. “It’s time for bed. Go with Papa.”

At which point, Naya had growled at her, eyes sparkling with mischief.

And Sascha had cracked, laughing so hard she’d had to put down her hot chocolate before she spilled it. Lucas had shaken his head as Naya plopped down on her diaper-covered butt and joined in, clapping her hands at having made her mommy laugh. “No discipline.” Lucas had mock-growled at her before picking up their misbehaving baby. “And you”—a growly nuzzle that made Naya laugh harder and pat his stubbled cheek—“time for bed.”

He’d finally got her to sleep—by walking around with her pressed up against his bare chest.

Today, their cub was playing in the living area just outside the kitchen nook. Sascha had locked the aerie door to ensure Naya wouldn’t undo the latch and go out onto the balcony, and Lucas had childproofed the entire main area of the aerie, so Naya was free to roam as she liked. A lot of the time she practiced her walking skills. And no matter how often she fell down, she started back up again after a little break.

Stubborn, determined baby.

Peeking out from the kitchen, Sascha found her concentrating on stacking the colored alphabet blocks Faith and Vaughn had given her as a gift. Beside her sat a more than slightly ragged wolf plush toy, aka “The Toy That Shall Not Be Named.” Hawke had given that to Naya when she was a newborn, and it remained her favorite snuggle toy, much to her father’s despair.

Though Lucas did enjoy it when Naya went leopard on the toy, growling and “fighting” with the wolf. Then he’d smile and say, “That’s my girl.”


 

theauthor
Nalini SinghI was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated frequently).

So far, I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There’s no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

 

giveaway

Nalini’s publisher is offering a paper copy of the first two (2) book in the Psy/Changeling series; SLAVE TO SENSATION & VISIONS OF HEAT to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

6. Follow NALINI SINGH   on Facebook.

7. Giveaway is open to USA only

8. Giveaway runs from June 14 to 19, 2016

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Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh – Review & Giveaway

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Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh – Review & Giveaway

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Shield of Winter
Psy/Changeling series – Book #13
by Nalini Singh
Release Date: June 3, 2014

Shield of WinterAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…

Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to stifle her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she’ll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…


Review:
Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh is the 13th book in her Pys/Changeling series. Before we go to my review, I wanted to mention how much I love this series. Nalini Singh is such a phenomenal writer, that after 13 books, she still keeps us wanting more and more of this awesome series. Many times, other big series suffer from redundancy, or just lose more with each book, as we either know what is going to happen or we get bored. Not so with Nalini Singh, and our Psy/Changelings. We still have wonderful stories, wonderful couples, and a fantastic world building that just continues to smoothly head to what promises to be a wild and exciting climatic finish to this arc.

We have known Vasic, who is our hero in Shield of Winter for a long time. The description of Vasic is perfectly described above in the book description. He and Aden are the leaders of the Arrows, who originally worked for the evil Ming, and now work together with Kaleb; the ghost we discovered in the last book, Heart of Obsidian. At the end of the last book, when Kaleb broke down Silence, we expected the fallout to be bad, since Silence was created to stop violence. With Silence no more, a dangerous sickness has infected the net, and the madness threatens to destroy everyone. Nalini goes into much detail, giving us what is necessary for us to understand what is happening, why and if it was possible to fix this. She also gives us a beautiful and difficult romance, which seemed almost impossible throughout the series. Vasic, who at the age of 4, was trained to become as an Arrow, a cold and calculated killer, to help preserve Silence, and protect the rulers of the Psy Council. We knew changes were coming, but we never thought there would ever a mate for Vasic, who was close to the end.

We meet Ivy, who is an empath, and living with her parents on a remote land, hidden from the Psy’s. Empaths were looked upon with distaste or fear, but now with the fall of Silence and the infection spreading, it is the Empaths who will come out of hiding to help work with the Arrows to try save the world. All the Empaths are brought to Changeling territory under the protection of the Arrows to come up with a plan.

Ivy was a wonderful heroine, who allowed herself to feel emotions. We saw this early on, when she would smile, and play with her beloved Rabbit (her dog). Ivy saw through the cold inner wall that Vasic built around himself. He was Ivy’s protector, and in time it was wonderful to see his wall slowly disintegrate, as he finds himself with feelings he never felt before; with each passing day going by, he cannot resist Ivy. Those emotions between them became so strong, that it not only sizzled, it totally melted Vasic’s wall, bringing out the man who was falling love and it was just wonderful to watch. To watch him come to life, and be so passionate with Ivy was great. Nalini did a fabulous job bringing in much humor during their relationship. Even to the point Vasic went to Judd to find out anything he needed to know about sex.

Both Ivy and Vasic made a great couple, and to the very end, we prayed they would be able to survive and make this work. After Kaleb in the previous book, I did not think I could find another hero to redeem in Vasic. Sigh I totally loved him.

It was great to see some of our favorites again, as they played a major part in trying to find a resolution to the infection that was spreading. I enjoyed seeing Ivy, Sascha, and Sahara, plus others work together. Shield of Winter is another great addition to the Pys/Changeling series, and I must say again that  Nalini Singh is on the top of my list as a favorite author I will not miss. I cannot wait for Aden’s story next, since in this book I began to fall in love with him too.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher


giveaway

Nalini and her publisher, Berkley are offering a hardcopy of Shield of Winter to one (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

 1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on  FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. LIKE Nalini Singh  on Facebook.

6. The giveaway is open to USA only

7. The giveaway runs from June 3 to June 7, 2014

 

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Cafe News Exclusive- Nalini Singh Announces Her Next Psy/Changeling Hero g Hero

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Cafe News Exclusive- Nalini Singh Announces Her Next Psy/Changeling Hero

Nalini Singh just made an announcement on revealing who will be her next hero.  If you do not want to know, please do not read her announcement.

I have two pieces of Psy-Changeling news for you today.

First up, I’ll be doing a Psy-Changeling novella for next year, to be released as part of a multi-author anthology. This is something that just came together- I don’t know if the other authors have announced it to their readers, so I can’t tell you who they are yet, but it’s an awesome lineup.

I’ve decided we’ll be going back to DarkRiver territory for this novella. Release date will be late in 2014. More info on that to come once I get it.

And as promised, I have the name of the hero of Psy-Changeling #13 for you. The heroine is a new character so I’ll share further information about her once I’m deeper into writing the book and have gotten to know her a little more.

Ready? Here he is (scroll down):
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VASIC

As you can guess, this book will be tightly connected with the events of Heart of Obsidian.

Nalini

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Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh – a Review

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Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh – a Review

Heart of Obsidian

Links to order Heart of Obsidian:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Kobo

Description:
A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained bloodred.
A woman whose very existence has been erased.
A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.
A deadly price that must be paid.
The day of reckoning is here.

From “the alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) comes the most highly anticipated novel of her career—one that blurs the line between madness and genius, between subjugation and liberation, between the living and the dead.

 

Review:

Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh is the 12th book in her Psy/Changeling series.  My favorite book in the series (I love them all), was a tie between Slave to Sensation & Kiss of Snow. Notice I said was, though it is close.  I never thought I would love a book just as good or better with the hero being Kaleb Krychek, especially in competition with Hawke or Lucas.  But Heart of Obsidian was simply amazing.  Nalini Singh continues to prove that she is a master storyteller, and in this book she has created a fantastic masterpiece.

Heart of Obsidian is Kaleb Krychek’s story, as we knew it would be after the end of Tangle of Need.  We did not know who was the woman he had found, and what did she mean to him?   We learn early that Sahara Kyriakus (Nightstar) was that woman, someone deep in his past, who turned out to be a fantastic heroine. This book belongs to Kaleb and Sahara, in so many ways.

The book picks up immediately after Tangle of Need, with Sahara transported to Kaleb’s home, where he slowly tries to get her out of a labyrinth shell, which she herself put together during her 7 years in captivity.  Right away you are surprised how gentle, but firm Kaleb is with Sahara.  We know from the start she is important to him, but Sahara does not remember Kaleb.  This is a surprise, as Kaleb has always came across as the most powerful psy; cold, calculating, and extremely dangerous. With Sahara we begin to see a different side of Kaleb, and Nalini does such wonderful job in salvaging him. 

This is not to say that Sahara wasn’t equally as wonderful as Kaleb.  She was awesome, and possibly one of the best heroines in this series.  As Sahara begins to heal, and trust Kaleb, she sees his inner darkness, and knows how dangerous he is. But she also sees the goodness in him and together they will discover each other, as their love grows, and each will heal in their own way.  Kaleb loves Sahara, as he knows she is the only person who can save him.  This was such a beautiful romance, with two damaged people, who lost and found each other. 

It is Sahara who will get Kaleb to reveal his past, and how he came to be what he is.  We learn the horrifying truth of Kaleb being trained by the evil Santano Enrique, and the things he had to endure.  Sahara uses her memory of the young Kaleb, to help show him not everything is dark, and the light inside him is their love.  The fact that Nalini can get us to care about Kaleb is something, but we got to love him, as much or more then many of the other psy/changeling heroes.   Since all the heroes in this series are awesome, this was an amazing feat by Nalini. 

Kaleb and Sahara’s romance is so emotional on every level. As always, the sex scenes were hot and steamy, but there were some added elements of humor that were funny. For example, when Kaleb professed to be a virgin, and after they had hot and heavy sex, Sahara asked him how he knew what to do, or if he tested on someone.  He offered to share his research on the internet for her to read.  Lol

Besides this wonderful romance that pulled on our heart strings, not to mention the intensity, Heart of Obsidian continued the ongoing civil war with the Pure Psy against the Psy Council and Changelings.  Kaleb was the hero throughout, working with his Arrows to save many people from the destruction being done by the Pure Psy.  Though there was a constant worry that Kaleb had other plans, & the extent he would he go to control the Psy net. 

We get to see some of our other favorites like Aden, Vasic, Judd, Mercy, Faith, Vaughn, Nikita, Anthony, and briefly Hawke and Lucas. There was a lot of intense action throughout, with all the factions helping one another to fight the evil Pure Psy. 

The ending was very exciting, with some resolution, as it is a game changer.  However, much is left open to see how this change will affect the Psy & Changelings, and most of all…Silence. There is so much more to learn, and more enemies to defeat, but I can’t wait for what Nalini has in store for us as she reaches the final few books to end this arc. 

Will Silence survive?  Will Sahara be able to keep the darkness inside of Kaleb in control?  Did we learn who is Ghost?  Yes, we did, but you will have to read this book to find out who it is.

Heart of Obsidian is an emotional roller coaster, very intense, exciting, and an amazing romance.  It is this romance that totally surprised me, being so beautiful, so much emotion, and very passionate.  I can’t say enough of Nalini Singh, who has become one of my top favorite authors, how great a writer she is.  Not only can she take a character seemingly unredeemable, dangerous and make him someone we would fall in love with; but she continues to amaze me how she keeps all the details of this complex world so precise, flawless and brings us to an exciting climax still to come.  Bravo Nalini, you outdid yourself in this book!

Reviewed by Barb

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Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh – a Review

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Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh – a Review

wild invitation
Links to order Wild Invitation:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depostory / Kobo

Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh consists of 4 novellas, which takes place in her wonderful  Psy/Changeling world. Below is my review on each novella.

Beat of Temptation

Beat of Temptation is the story of Tamsyn; healer of Dark River Leopards, and Nathan Ryder, a Dark River Sentinel.  This novel was a plethera of different nuances.  At times tender, at times romantic, at times frustrating, and more than a little intense with its emotion.

This story held a unique mood, in that our two main characters knew for several years that they were mates, and yet had not completed the bond.  First Tamsyn was much too young when Nathan knocked upon her door to wish her happy birthday on year, and felt the “pull”.  From then on, he was shadowed by the night the world turned upside down for all the Pack of Dark River.  The night when young Tamsyn beame healer.

Honorable to his core, and loving Tammy for as long as he could remember, Nate fights his inner beasts demands for its mate, struggling to give the woman who is his everything–some semblence of freedom.  Knowing his own level of dominance, and that once the bond was completed she would probably have no more.  Tamsyn on the other hand, wants no such freedom.  And faces her own struggle to make her man see that what she truly needs is Nate by her side, anchoring her with his love.

Can Nate realize the error of his misplaced honor before he loses her forever?   

This short story is one of my personal favorites.  And seeing the soul deep connection of a young Lucas Hunter, with the members of his pack–long before he even became Alpha–was wonderful. 

Stroke of Intimacy

The second addition to Nalini Singh’s novella is titled Stroke of Intimacy–and features a Human teacher named Annie, and a Dark River Leopard named Zach.  

I was the least excited to read this segment, simply because I had only ever heard mention of this couple briefly.  Typically, its the characters I know well from previous installments that draw me into the story; more than ones I know little about.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by how thuroughly entertained I was by this unlikely courtship.  Zach is one of those rare male protaganists that are somehow equal parts dominant, and equal parts tender in the dealings with their woman.  I fell in love with this chraracter instantly…and enjoyed how quickly Zach charmed Annie’s Changeling prejudiced mother into liking him.

The heroine Annie has not had the best example of how a man who truly treasures his lady behaves.  Although cleary falling in love with Zach, she struggles with letting him in completely. 

It was wonderful to witness Zach showing Annie what Changeling love looks like, and Annie learning how to trust.

Declaraton of Courtship

Declaration of Courtship, Nalini’s third segment of the Novella Wild Invitation, also offers a truly unique situation unto the Psy-Changelings world.  In this short story we see Grace; one of the most submissive wolves in the SnowDancer den pursued by a dark, lethally dominant Luietenant named Cooper. 

These two changelings are literally on polar opposite sides of the heirarchy that exists in Snow Dancer.  So one can imagine the utter shock Grace receives when she hears the quietly spoken declaration of Cooper’s plan to “court” her.  There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t emphatically enjoy about this couple’s harrowing journey to come to terms with their differences, in order to achieve love.  

Cooper’s single minded focus, and drive to win the woman who has captivated him.  The lengths with which he goes to show her that their love can overcome the vast gap seperating them in the heirachy.  The gentleness with which he calms her wolf out of it’s fear of his intense dominance. 

I loved how shy, submissive Grace also fights with a strength of will at par with her mate, in order to discover–and heal–the pain Cooper hides from everyone.

This was a highly emotional, and fun filled story.  I applaud Ms. Singh’s ability to give her readers the feeling of a full length novel–with a beginning, middle, and end–in a little over 100 pages. 

Texture of Intimacy

Last but SO not least; is Texture of Intimacy. This is a futhering of Walker Lauren and SnowDancer healer; Lara’s story. The book begins the day after Walker and Lara’s mating bond snaps into place. The timeline is set after the events in Kiss of Snow. It is only ten chapters long. And for one reason alone….I would have paid any price to read it. Walker Lauren.

First, I must convey that although Judd Lauren is my third utmost favorite male character in literature, I am head over heels in love with his brother. I have been fascinated with this stoic, silent, mysterious man since he first stepped onto the pages in Slave to Sensation. I can only state that there is no other character in literature quite like him. Not only is Walker THE most moving character of the Psy-Changelings series for me–hands down, but he is one of the most moving characters in all of fiction. Period. To put it into the simplest of terms….Walker breaks. My. Heart.

I lost count how many times I was moved to tears while learning about the horrors of this man’s past. A lone Psy professor helpless against a twisted society hell bent on turning children into weapons. Walker; issuing out detention under the watchful eye of the other adults…comforting the broken, batterted, sobbing children behind closed doors. Risking everything in order to give them what little rest, and reprieve he could offer. Walker; helpless as the innocence, laughter, and life was beaten from his own brother every day–until all that was left of the Judd he knew was a killing machine. Walker; witnessing the suffering of his sister, as she was forced to relinquish her child to a monster. Walker, powerless to stop his sister’s suicide. Walker, unable to save the niece he had always loved like a daughter. Walker; learning of the termination of his unborn child…silently dying inside, as the viscious cycle began with his other two children.

*rubbing the ache in my chest*

I am staggered with emotion for this character. Depsite the brutal attempt of his handler’s to drive the emotion out of him, Walker continued to feel. Walker continued to protect. Walker continued to act as an anchor for his brother, his niece, Marlee, Toby, and countless other children. I am awestruck by the size of this man’s heart, and the beauty of his soul. He never broke. Never wavered in his ability to supress the chaos going on inside him. Learning, and utilizing his vast telepathic gifts to appear wholly “silent” so that nothing outworldly shown. This survival mechanism was devloped out of desperation, knowing the moment the other Psy learned Walker was not like them, it was over. I liken this man’s strength of will to that of an immovable mountain, and I will FOREVER lament that this phenomenal, once in a lifetime character did not receive a full length novel.

The interactions between Walker and Lara, as they struggle to adjust to the demands of their bond–is heartbreakingly tender. But it was the emotionally poignant interactions between Walker, and Judd that just about did me in. Seperately these two characters could bring a reader to their knees with the pain they have suffered, but together in happy moments? Mr. Iceman Judd Lauren smiling? Laughing? Teasing and making jokes with the brother who never gave up on him? Stone faced Walker Lauren’s cheeks creasing??? GAWD. These moments with the Lauren brother’s were like a soothing balm applied on scorched skin for me.

Texture of Intimacy was a wonderful short story that offers readers previously unknown glimpses into the arrival of the Lauren’s at SnowDancer…and bears the answer to two very important questions. Can a man with the deeply ingrained instinct to close himself off in situations of extreme emotional duress–open himself up completely to the woman he loves? Can the woman with a Healer’s soul penetrate the barrier surrounding her mate’s heart, so that she may become HIS anchor?

I cannot get enough of the Psy-Changeling‘s world created by Nalini Singh, and Wild Invitation was a wonderful treat leading up to the release of the next installment Heart of Obsidian.        

Reviewed by Miranda

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Nalini Singh Exclusive Psy/Changeling Reveal

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Nalini Singh Exclusive Psy/Changeling Reveal

Rumors have been abound about Nalini’s next Psy/Changeling novel.  Will she finally reveal who is Ghost?  We do not have long to wait for this reveal.

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Nalini Singh Cover Reveal

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Nalini Singh Cover Reveal

 

WILD INVITATION: A PSY-CHANGELING COLLECTION BY NALINI SINGH

In “Beat of Temptation“, innocent Tamsyn has always had a place in her heart for Nathan, a blooded DarkRiver sentinel. But is she ready for the fierce demands of the mating bond?

In “Stroke of Enticement”, a wary young teacher, skeptical about love, arouses the man—and the animal—in an aggressive leopard changeling who must prove his affections are true.

Plus NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED In “Declaration of Courtship“, Grace, a shy submissive wolf, finds herself pursued by the last man she ever would have imagined: a SnowDancer lieutenant said to be “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.” Plus NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED

In “Texture of Intimacy“, SnowDancer healer Lara discovers the searing joys—and unexpected challenges—of being mated to quiet, powerful Walker, a man used to keeping his silence.

Releasing: MARCH 2013

Source: Nalini Singh’s Facebook Page

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